The present invention relates to a heartbeat sensing system. More specifically to a heartbeat sensing system which is incorporated into a vehicle seat or hospital bed to monitor an occupant.
Heartbeat sensing systems are commonly used to monitor occupants of vehicles, beds, etc. The sensing systems can be used to detect the presence of an occupant. Often alarms are attached to the sensing systems to cause an alert in cases of heartbeat cessation, unusual heart rate activity, or occupant drowsiness.
Heartbeat sensing systems in vehicles are typically placed in an area that will be adjacent an occupant, for example, in a seat belt or seat. Vibration sensors are typically used to detect a heartbeat. In order for the heartbeat sensing system to be useful it must be able to detect the heartbeat separately from the environmental noise, such as the engine and/or road vibrations.
Heartbeat sensing systems in hospital beds may be attached to sheets or strips that are placed between the bed and the patient. While this type of monitoring system eliminates the need for wires directly on an occupant's body the monitoring system is susceptible to patient's movements. In addition, monitoring heartbeat during transportation of the patient can be difficult due to vibrations resulting from the transport vehicle that are picked up by the sensors obscuring the heartbeat.
Thus a heartbeat sensing system is needed that is unobtrusive to an occupant and which can filter out environmental noise is needed.